A fun summer DIY for kids, this DIY Sidewalk Chalk is just 3-ingredients and can be customized into any shape! Perfect for summer parties, BBQs or low-key days with the kids.

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Recipe

Running a home-based daycare, we go through a LOT of sidewalk chalk.

Correction, we go through a lot of the kids’ favorite colors when it comes to sidewalk chalk.

Seriously, craft brands need to start just putting out buckets of pink, purple and blue sidewalk chalk because those are the ONLY colors my kids want to use. There are arguments about taking turns with their favorite colors, and once those chalk colors get used up, the kids are begging me to open another bucket. No one wants to even consider using the yellow, green or black sidewalk chalk.

Making my own homemade sidewalk chalk started as just a way to ensure each of the kids would have their own pink chalk to make our post-nap outdoor time a bit more peaceful. I didn’t expect it to be so incredibly easy! It would be a perfect goodie bag gift for a summer birthday party, a classroom gift for the end of the school year, or a cheap activity to set out for the kids for a BBQ or summer get-together.

I first made traditional, stick-style chalk using an old wrapping paper tube, but my favorite way to make sidewalk chalk now is to use shaped molds. You can make heart-shaped sidewalk chalk like we did using a heart shaped mold, or ocean animals chalk, unicorn chalk, Star Wars chalk, skull chalk (for Halloween)… if you can find a mold in the shape, you can make chalk in that shape!

In addition to customizing your colors, you can also mix colors to make tie-dye chalk, add glitter, etc. 

Just a note, I used a kitchen bowl and wiped it out well before washing. You do not want to get plaster down your pipes – it will harden in there and can potentially cause plumbing issues. You may want to opt for disposable bowls or cups for this DIY.

How do you make sidewalk chalk without plaster? You can swap out the Plaster of Paris for cornstarch. It will take longer to dry, but it will work. (I do highly recommend the Plaster of Paris method, though.)

Is making sidewalk chalk really cheaper than buying it? Yes! That’s part of why I make it myself (in addition to being able to make fun shapes and exclusive colors). A 5lb bag of Plaster of Paris costs me about $16 and makes 17 batches of DIY sidewalk chalk. (Two batches are approximately equal to a regular-sized pail of sidewalk chalk, so after the first four batches, we’ve broken even. That’s 13 batches that are practically free.)

Check out our quick video for how to make sidewalk chalk and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe:

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Ingredients

• Plaster of Paris
• Water
• Tempera Paint
• Glitter, optional

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: some of our tempera paints had different water quantities/consistencies. Watch the video to ensure that your chalk mixture has the right consistency.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Disposable bowl or mixing bowl <– note: you will need to wipe out your bowl completely – do not put any plaster down your drainpipes
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spoon
• Heart-shaped Silicone Tray <– you can use any shaped tray you’d like

How to Make Sidewalk Chalk

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the Plaster of Paris and water.

Stir well until all water is absorbed.

Add paint and mix. Add more paint to achieve your desired color.

Scoop the mixture into a ziptop bag.

Seal the bag and snip a corner off the bottom of the bag.

If using glitter, add some to each cavity of your silicone mold.

Squeeze the plaster mixture into your silicone molds. Press the mixture down so that the chalk is solid.

Let the mixture set for 2 hours, or overnight. (You can also pop in the fridge to accelerate the setting time.)

Pop the chalks out of the mold and play!

Pin this Easy DIY Sidewalk Chalk Recipe:

Grab your free printable instructions for our homemade sidewalk chalk recipe:

This DIY chalk recipe is the perfect option if your kids want to use the same colors of chalk over and over again. Make the chalk into cute shapes for homemade gifts or cute party favors!

For more fun summer DIYs for kids, check out our DIY Water Wall or our DIY Fairy Treehouse Pendant Light.